23rd January 2026

1. Bharat Rang Mahotsav hosted as India’s largest international theatre festival, staged across 40 locations nationwide
2. Tata Communications names former Airtel executive Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as CEO-designate
3. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signs a landmark MoU with the World Economic Forum to strengthen vocational education and skilling
4. Parakram Diwas observed to commemorate Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary
5. Tata Group announces a $11 billion investment in Maharashtra’s proposed AI Innovation City
6. Andhra Pradesh announces plans for a new private-launch spaceport at Hope Island
7. UAE and Telangana partner to develop Bharat Future City as a global urban hub
8. Government e-Marketplace and World Trade Center Mumbai sign an MoU to enhance MSME participation in public procurement
9. Department of Indian Border Data signs an MoU with the Survey of India to digitise toponymic data
10. Assam government announces the ‘Atal Vichal Agragami Assam Scheme’ to support research scholars

National News

1. NSD to host 25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2026 across India

• What:
  • National School of Drama announced the 25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2026 from 27 January to 20 February 2026, expanding the world’s largest theatre festival across 40 locations with wide Indian and global participation.
• Tell me more:
  • New festival locations include Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and some cities in northeastern India.
  • The festival will include special theatre sections such as tribal theatre, children’s plays, folk drama, puppet shows, and classical Sanskrit plays.
  • International collaborators include theatre academies from Poland, Spain, and Russia.

Source: PIB

State News

1. Tata Group to develop Innovation City near Navi Mumbai Airport

• What:
  • Tata Group committed an investment of $11 billion to build an Innovation City near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, aiming to create India’s first plug-and-play global innovation hub.
• Tell me more:
  • The project was announced by Devendra Fadnavis at the World Economic Forum 2026, will be developed by Tata Sons near Navi Mumbai Airport, and was first presented to investors at the 2025 World Economic Forum.

2. Andhra Pradesh plans new spaceport at Hope Island

• What:
  • CM N. Chandrababu Naidu announced a proposed spaceport at Hope Island under Andhra Pradesh’s Space City initiative to support private launch providers, adding a third spaceport to India’s growing launch infrastructure.
• Tell me more:
  • India currently has Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota and an upcoming Small Satellite Launch Vehicle launch complex at Kulasekharapatnam.
  • Kulasekharapatnam facility is being developed to support polar orbit missions.
  • Private companies are increasingly participating in India’s small and medium launch vehicle sector.

Source: CNBC

3. UAE–Telangana discuss Bharat Future City at WEF 2026

• What:
  • A. Revanth Reddy met Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri at the World Economic Forum 2026 to explore cooperation on Telangana’s major infrastructure projects, especially Bharat Future City, under the Telangana Rising 2047 vision.
• Tell me more:
  • Bharat Future City is planned as India’s first Net-Zero Greenfield Smart City spread across 30,000 acres.
  • The project includes dedicated zones for artificial intelligence, education, health, industries, housing, and entertainment.
  • A memorandum of understanding was signed with Reliance Group’s Vantara to set up a zoo in the city.
  • Telangana Rising 2047 aims to transform Telangana into a $3 trillion economy by 2047.

4. Assam announces monthly financial support for research scholars

• What:
  • Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the Atal Vichal Agragami Assam scheme to provide monthly financial assistance to research scholars in Assam, aiming to strengthen the state’s academic, research, and innovation ecosystem.
• Tell me more:
  • Research scholars will receive ₹25,000 per month under the scheme.
  • Divyang research scholars will receive enhanced assistance of ₹40,000 per month.
  • The scheme will be formally launched on 11 February 2026.
  • The support is meant for scholars in universities and higher educational institutions across Assam.

Source: DD

Important Days

1. Parakram Diwas – January 23

• The Ministry of Culture organised Parakram Diwas-2026 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, marking the 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Source: NOA

Memorandum of Understanding

1. MSDE signs MoU with WEF to launch India Skills Accelerator

• What:
  • The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signed an MoU with the World Economic Forum to launch the India Skills Accelerator, strengthening India’s skills and Technical and Vocational Education and Training ecosystem through global collaboration.
• Tell me more:
  • The Skills Accelerator aims to connect government, industry, and education to fix skill gaps by aligning training with job market needs, supporting lifelong learning, and preparing workers for future jobs.
  • The initiative aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 and Vision India@2047.

2. GeM signs MoU with WTC Mumbai to boost MSME participation

• What:
  • The Government e-Marketplace signed an MoU with World Trade Centre Mumbai to expand outreach, strengthen Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises participation, and improve inclusive access to public procurement in India.
• Tell me more:
  • The partnership will support startups, women entrepreneurs, and MSMEs through capacity building, supplier outreach, knowledge sharing in artificial intelligence, sustainability, and green procurement, while improving GeM’s global visibility and market access.

Source: NOA

3. BHASHINI and Survey of India partner to digitise place names

• What:
  • The Digital India BHASHINI Division, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, signed an MoU with the Survey of India.
• Why:
  • To use AI-based language tools for digitising, transcribing, and standardising geographical place names, strengthening multilingual, accurate toponym data for national maps, governance systems, and the geospatial ecosystem.
• Tell me more:
  • Survey of India collects local place names through field surveys, while BHASHINI converts audio records into digital text to create a validated Toponymy Database of over 16 lakh locations in multiple scripts.
  • Survey of India is the national nodal agency for geographical name standardisation.
  • The collaboration supports the National Geographical Name Information System.
  • The initiative aligns with the National Geospatial Policy, 2022.
  • Standards will follow the Survey of India Toponymy Manual and Bureau of Indian Standards codes.

Source: PIB

Appointments

1. Tata Communications names Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as CEO-designate

• What:
  • Tata Communications named Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO)-designate, with the board set to appoint him as Managing Director (MD) and CEO after regulatory approvals.
• Tell me more:
  • He was most recently Managing Director and Group Vice President for ServiceNow India and South Asia.
  • He earlier served as Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Business in India.

Source: ET

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